The first Volga Germans arrived from Topeka and established the town of Herzog on 8 April 1876, one-half mile north of the town of Victoria which had been founded in 1874 by Scotch-English immigrants. The two towns grew together and Herzog officially changed its name to Victoria in 1913.
The following couples are recorded by the Ellis County Historical Society as founding families of Herzog:
Jakob Arnhold & Eva née Hoffman
Katharina Margaretha née Faller Arnhold
Philipp Arnhold & Katharina née Dreiling
Andreas Billinger 7 Magdalena née Scheck
Johannes Peter Braun & Anna Martha née Weber
Joseph & Elisabeth Braun
Alois Dreiling & Katharina née Rohleder
Anton Dreiling & Maria Elisabeth née Rupp
John K. Dreiling & Katharina née Dechant
Nikolaus Dreiling & Katharina née Wahl Hammerschmidt
Nikolaus Dreiling (Kleine) & Margaretha née Seib
Peter N. Dreiling & Elisabeth née Richmeier
Anna Maria Geist
Johannes Geist & Katharina née Gember
Johann Jakob Geist & Anna Maria née Bieker
Wilhelm Geist & Katharina Elisabeth née Weis
Andreas Götz & Anna née Bollig
Johann Götz & Anna Maria née Mermis
Johann Jakob Hammerschmidt
Leonhard Hammerschmidt
Anton Herman & Elisabeth née Dreiling
Johannes Kreutzer & Katharina née Asselborn
Jakob Lang & Susanna née Urban
Peter Wuint & Margaretha née Gerber
Michael Rome & Anna née Schreiner
Andreas Sander & Katharina née Knoll
J. Adam Sander & Elisabeth née Lauber
Johannes Peter Sander & Anna Katharina née Brungardt
Joseph Stremel & Barbara née Urban
Michael Strumm Sr. & Elisabeth née Ries
Michael Sturm Jr. & Eva née Knaub
Ignatz Vonfeldt
Anton Weber & Anna Maria née Gerber
Franz Weber & Anna Barbara née Müller
Andreas Weigel
Ignatz Weigel & Elisabeth née Sander
Johannes Anton Weigel
Victoria's inhabitants of Herzog (now Victoria) included the following families (along with the number of people in the family):
from Katharinenstadt
Justus Bissing (7)
Frederic Karlin (4)
Peter Karlin (3)
Jacob Karlin (3)
Frederic Koerner (10)
from Kamenka
Jacob Lang
Joseph Stremel
Michael Meder (2)
Mathias Urban
from Pfeifer
Christopher Stegmann
from Herzog
Andrew Billinger (3)
Alois Dreiling (7)
Anton Dreiling (8)
Nicholas Dreiling (7)
Hammerschmidt (9)
Nicholas Dreiling (5)
John Götz (7)
John Kreutzer (2)
Michael Rome (2)
John Sander (7)
Michael Storm (6)
John Van der Dunkt (2)
Ignatius Vonfeld (2)
Ignatius Weigel (4)
from Beauregard
Jacob Arnholt (5)
from Ober-Monjou
John Geist (5)
John Jacob Geist (5)
William Geist (4)
from Mariental
Anton Herrmann (5)
from Louis
Peter Quint (7)
from Marienburg
Paul Dinges
from Liebental
Jos. Braun (5)
Franz Weber (11)
John Kreutzer (2)
John Lechleiter (5)
Michael Lechleiter (3)
John Peter Schaefer (3)
Peter Schaefer (3)
from Graf
John Bollig (2)
- Appelhanz, Isadore. The Volga-Germans in Topeka, Kansas, 1875-85. Topeka: privately published, 1992.
- The Golden Jubilee of the German-Russian Settlements of Ellis and Rush Counties, Kansas. Hays, KS: privately printed, 1926.
- Laing, Francis S. "German-Russian Settlements in Ellis County, Kansas." Kansas Historical Collections 11 (1910), 489-528. [Online]
- First Catholic Cemetery (used from 1873-1899).
- 1920 U.S. Census, Ellis Co., Kansas
A-F, G-K, L-R, S-Z
- Founding Settlers of Herzog (St. Fidelis)
- Saint Fidelis Cemetery (findagrave.com)
Herzog, Kansas (1905)
Source: Standard Atlas of Ellis County Kansas (Kansas Historical Society)
Victoria, Kansas (1922)
Source: Standard Atlas of Ellis County Kansas (Kansas Historical Society)
Surviving Group of Original Immigrants
Victoria, Kansas (1926)
Source: Golden Jubilee Booklet
Victoria Panorama (1926)
Source: Golden Jubilee Booklet
St. Fidelis Catholic Church, the friary, St. Joseph Grade School, and St. Fidelis High School.
Victoria, Kansas (1928)
Source: Charles Brungardt
Victoria Aerial Postcard
Source: CardCow.com
Herzog (pre-1910), looking NW from the church or school.
Source: Charles Brungardt
Main Street in Victoria (1910).
Source: Charles Brungardt.
Pioneer Statue in Victoria
Source: Golden Jubilee Booklet